He coached the Wolf Pack secondary for seven (2000-2003, 2005-07) of his eight years at the Reno-school and spent one season (2004) as the program's wide receivers coach. Nevada enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in its gridiron fortunes his final three seasons, earning three consecutive bowl bids and winning a share of the 2006 Western Athletic Conference title under the direction of head coach Chris Ault.

McCloud coached a pair of All-Western Athletic Conference performers at Nevada, including two-time (2005 and 2006) first-team honoree Joe Garcia, who ranked 14th nationally in interceptions as a senior in 2006. In his lone year as the Wolf Pack wide receivers coach, Nichiren Flowers earned first-team All-WAC honors after a 91-catch campaign that saw him finish second in the conference in both receptions and receiving yards. He also helped coach two of the Wolf Pack's leading tacklers in 2002 and 2003 in cornerbacks Marlon McLaughlin and Chris Handy.

A native of Los Angeles, McCloud began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Kaiser High School in Honolulu. He broke into the college ranks as a graduate assistant on head coach Larry Smith's Missouri staff in 1997 and helped the Tigers earn a Holiday Bowl invitation. In 1998, McCloud joined the University of Idaho's staff as cornerbacks coach where he helped the Vandals capture the Big West Conference title and cap the season with a Humanitarian Bowl victory.

McCloud was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at the University of Hawai'i, where he earned honorable mention All-WAC honors as a defensive back and was named to the 1990 All-WAC Academic Team. At Hawai'i, one of his teammates was Baylor defensive coordinator Brian Norwood. He signed a free agent contract with the NFL's San Diego Chargers in 1991 and played two seasons (1991 and 1992) in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

An all-city defensive back and wide receiver as a prep at Los Angeles City High School, McCloud received his bachelor's degree in economics and sociology from Hawai'i in 1991. He and his wife, Renee, have two children, Kaleb and Rachel.